Once upon a time, not long ago

My grandmother told me one day I'd change

I felt like she was comin' down on me

So I told her, no, I'd be the same

Not knowin' she was only tryin' to help

Motivate me to excel and climb

I was thinking she was the one trapped

While I was stuck in a cage of my mind

Man, if I would've known what I know now

I would've brought my head down under the cloud

Told her thank you, and that I loved her

But I was too cool and too damn proud

What a fool I was, in fact

I've changed so much now, lookin' back

I wish somebody I thought was cool

Was as cool as she was, when she told me that

I see you, the real you

Tryna cover up what's inside of you

But everything you do is make-believe

Yeah, you're hot, but you're too cool

I see you, oh

I see you, oh

I see you

Baby girl don't know much about

What it would take to become a star

Hollywood is so far-fetched

Too long of a drive in an old car

Work everyday, but you barely eat

Goin' over lines from a script you read

Your boyfriend said it's a silly dream

But how can you dream when you never sleep?

You lookin' in the mirror and you're picturin' a light-show

A glimpse in the lens of a camera

Behind the scenes of life is a tightrope

Yeah, you walk a thin line, but a thin line is all you need

A thin line in an indy movie

Just a break for somebody to see

The talent inside, the ballad of a diary you write

The by and by is just another day for a normal girl

But for you it's another day that you tried

Aside from the fact, that you ride in the back

Of a bus sometimes 'cause your car won't work

Well, maybe you should take that bus to L. A

And put your dreams first, because

I see you, the real you

Tryna cover up what's inside of you

But everything you do is make-believe

Yeah, you're hot, but you're too cool

I see you, oh

I see you, oh

I see you

Black and white

Everything is black and white, broke-down simple and plain

Most of us lost with a curious brain

Curiosity is looked at as strange

Stuck in a lane, but you can't complain

While you look at another passin' train

Wonderin' how, where's it going?

Wishin' you were inside, packed and rollin'

To another place but your time is chosen

To live low-key 'cause your dream is stolen

They don't understand, they believe in loathin'

Loungin', loafin', waitin', hopin'

Homie, if the grass is greener, look, the gate is open

You waitin' for God to release the ocean

Sittin' on the beach, 2 feet from floatin'

(But I see you)

I see you, the real you

Tryna cover up what's inside of you

But everything you do is make-believe

Yeah, you're hot, but you're too cool

I see you, oh

I see you, oh

I see you